The Ecological Cost Of Christmas
Turning Off The Lights Without Turning Off The Cheer
By Carolyn Pogue, Editor
Copyright © 1996. All Rights Reserved.
Reprinted with permission from the publisher. For more information visit www.simpleliving.org.

Many people go around turning out lights to ease the energy crisis, then buy electric toothbrushes, hair dryers, toasters, and shoe kits for Christmas. Try making this a -- low energy -- Christmas by refraining from buying anything which uses electricity, by leaving the tree lights and spotlights in the attic and decorating with popcorn and cranberries.

Consider ideas for gifts and holiday preparations which focus on conserving, rather than consuming, so that these may be symbols of life and not death. Give to life-supporting organizations instead of buying that electric gadget that will only add to the pollution of our air and to the profit of war-supporting industries.

Make your own decorations. Set aside time for the whole family to make holiday decorations and ornaments: colorful wall-hangings, pine cone wreaths, Advent calendars, garlands of flowers or colored paper, dried nuts, seeds, or seashells. Lids to tin containers can be made into ornaments by fringing and cutting shapes with scissors and pliers (use gloves).

According to the Christmas Tree Growers Association over 30 million natural Christmas trees become a part of our throwaway society each year. An estimated 10 million artificial trees are bought each year. The natural trees are cut, sold, decorated, and discarded all within an eight-week period. It is a credit to some cities that the trees are collected, shredded into mulch and returned to the homeowner.

Buy a live tree. The Sierra Club or a local nursery can give you advice about using a live tree for Christmas.

Tons and tons of wrapping paper, much of it containing metal, goes through the same throwaway cycle. Reducing the number of presents bought will have a corresponding effect on wasted paper. Use homemade Christmas wrappings instead of commercial paper: decorate scrap paper or brown bags, or try potato printing on newspapers. Save and decorate shoe boxes, cookie and coffee cans to put gifts in, pieces of leftover material could be batiked, tie-dyed, or embroidered and used for wrapping gifts.

For the birds!

One of the best ways of affirming the environment at Christmas is to care for the birds. One of our family’s greatest delights is watching nuthatches, chickadees, titmice, juncos, and cardinals come to our feeder outside the kitchen. If you don’t have a bird book, get one for the whole family.

Bird feeders can be made by children from all sorts of recycled "junk." Check out your library for easy how-to instruction books. Bird feeders, bird books, and bird food all make wonderful gifts to another person and to the world.

Remember, too, when you plant such flowers as sunflowers, you provide more than wondrous beauty -- you can feed the birds with the seeds during winder.

About The Author

Carolyn Pogue is editor of Treatury Of Celebrations: Create Celebrations That Reflect Your Values And Don't Cost The Earth.

Web Site: Alternatives For Simple Living